Valve-spring-compensating means.



F. L. KINGSTON.

VALVE SPRING COMPENSATING MEANS. APPLICATION FILED JAN. '2. 1911.

Patented Dec. 4, 1917.

' in the manifold. This condition of unseated FRANK IJ. KINGSTQ'N, 0F CLEVELAND, OHIO.

VALVE-SPRING-GOMPENSATING MEANS.

teaaeva.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. d, jildltf.

Application filed January 2, 1917. Serial No. 140,336.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK L. Kmes'roN, a citizen of the United'States, residing at Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Valve-Spring- Compensating Means, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to a valve arrangement especially suitable for internal combustion engines whereby the irregularities in the springs may be compensated and evenness of wear secured.

It is a well known fact that great difficulty is experienced in the manufacture of a compression spring all of whose parts shall be of equal temper, strength and stiffness. The spring wire may vary from point to point in diameter and in chamical composition; it is impossible to secure an exactly uniform temper at all points; it is diflicult or impossible to grind the ends so that they shall be absolutely square; and the very act of compression always tends to deflect the spring out of a straight line. As a result of one or more of these conditions the valve springs acquire a more or less decided defiection which invariably tends to press the valve stem toward one side, wherefore the valve stem and guide are caused to wear unevenly, this condition being very frequently observed in the motors of automobiles that have been driven five thousand miles or more. As soon as the valve stem and guide begin to wear on one side, the rate of wear increases progressively, with a result that the valve head soon becomes tilted relatively to its seat so that it must contact only at one point, the remainder being separated so as to produce a narrow gap. The hot gases at the instant of explosion are forced through this gap with a consequent erosion and pitting of the valve and seat; carbon is deposited which wedges the valve openstlll more; and outside a1r 1s sometlmes admltted past the worn valve stem in an amount suficient to influence noticeably the operatlon of the motor, having the same effect as a leak valve has been denominated in the trade by the name of warped valve and the commonly advanced and accepted explanation has been that the valve or its stem has become warped by the heat so as no longer to seat properly; but the finest of measurements upon such a valve failed to indicate any warping eifect of more than one-one thousandth of an inch even in the most aggravated case. Hitherto the accepted mode of curing this evil has been to re-grind the valves, but this remedy has never proven particularly satisfactory from the fact that regrinding has ordinarily to be repeated at a very early date, owing to the looseness of the valve stem, occasioned by the wear, as above related.

Erosion, pitting, gas burning and carbon deposition have commonly been offered as an explanation why valves and seats frequently require grinding, but my investigation indicates that ninety per cent. of valve grinding is necessitated by stem wear and it is difficult to appreciate how hot gases could secure admission to the underside of a valve disk so as to produce its characteristic effect if the valve disk were properlyseated at all times so as to prevent the access of such gas thereto. It is obvious that even ifthe valves and seats are reground, and yet the worn stems and guides are left uncorrected and the springs are permitted to continue their lateral pressure upon the valve stems, the actual causes of the trouble have not been removed.

The objects of the present invention are the provision of a device which shall prevent unbalanced pressure of the spring against the valve stem, and thus as a secondary result shall eliminate in large measure the necessity of grinding valves and shall avoid air leakage, power waste, noisy operation, and other evils.

According to the most common form of present day engine practice the valve stem is slidably mounted in a sleeve or guide midway between the head or disk and the free end of the stem, a compression spring being located around the protruding portion and linear path parallel to the axis of the stem so that lateral movement of the stem from this cause is impossible. Heretofore more or less unsuccessful effort has been made to square up the ends of the spring and one of the spring ends has been rigidly seated upon the sleeve or guide and the other end seated against the washer. According to my invention I interpose between one or both ends of the spring and its seat a member permitting universal movement between the end and seat so that it may be free to assume whatever position the shape of the spring may require and thus always draw the valve squarely to its seat. My invention permits springs that are only reasonably accurate to be used with thoroughly satisfactory results, and obviates the need of accurately grinding and squaring the ends of the springs thus doing away with considerable handling of the springs and resulting in a material saving of time and reduction of expense.

One of the embodiments of my invention is illustrated in the drawings accompanying and forming a part of this specification, and while I have shown therein and will proceed to describe a universal connection between each end of the spring and its adjacent seat, I esteem the universal connection against the sleeve or guide as of paramount importance, and capable of attaining alone practically the full benefits of my invention.

Also I consider my invention of more general adaptability than to the particular em bodiment herein disclosed, so that its scope should be regarded as coextensive with the breadth of the annexed claims.

In the drawing Figure 1 is a fragmentary side elevation of an internal combustion engine having my invention applied thereto;

, Fig. 2is an elevation of one of the membcrs which are shown interposed between the upper end of the valve springs and the adjacent end of the valve guides in Fig. 1; Figs. 3 and a are sections on the respective lines 85 and 4let of Fig. 2; Fig. 5 is an elevation of the abutment that is carried by each of the valve stems; Figs. 6 and 7 are sections on the respective lines 66 and 77 of Fig. 5; Fig. 8 is a sectional detail including a modified form of the member shown in Figs. 2 to 1; and Fig. 9 is a perspective view of such modified form of the member.

The engine to which I have shown my invention applied comprises the cylinder casings 1 and crank case 2; and the cylinder casings are provided with the lateral oilsets 8 which house the inlet and exhaust passageways which communicate with the interior of the cylinders. An outlet manifold is indicated at at, and an inlet manifold at 5 as having'connection with the appropriate passageways in the extensions 3.

Where one of the lateral extensions 3 of the cylinders is shown as cut in vertical section, an inlet passageway 6 and an outlet passageway 7 are revealed, and each adapted to be closed against communication with the interior of the cylinder by means of a valve 10 which cooperates with a seat 11. In axial alinement with the valve seat, the casing is provided with a bore 12 for the reception of a tubular guide 13 within which the stem 14; of the valve is slidably mounted. The outer or lower end of each of the guides 13 is provided with the usual peripheral spring seat 15; and a Hat annular portion separates the spring seat from a head 16 which surrounds the valve stem.

Fulcrumed upon a pin 18 which passes through each of the valve stems adjacent its lower end is an abutment member 19. This abutment member is formed with a pcripheral upwardly extending flange and an elevated central portion between which and the flange there is provided what I will term a spring receiving recess. The central elevated portion of the member has dian'ietrically opposed depressions 20 for the reception of the end portions of the pin 18, and at right angles to the common axis of these bearing portions diametrically opposed ribs 21 are struck up within the bottom of the spring receiving recess.

The lower end of a compression sprin '25 is contained within the spring receiving recess of the abutment member 19, and between the upper end of the spring and the seat 15, there is interposed a member 26 through which the spring is capable of a universal movement with respect to the guide.

In its preferred form the member 26 consists of a dished annulus which is bent upon its diameter so as to provide on its outer or upper side opposed bearing portions 27 for contact with the spring seat 15, and on its under or inner side diametrically opposed bearing portions 28, the common axis of which is at right angles to the axis of the bearing portions 27., and with which the end of the spring is adapted to contact. From the nature of the bearing thus produced between the spring and spring seat, it will be seen that the spring is free to swing in any direction with respect. to the seat-that is to say, the spring is capable of a universal movement with respect to its scat.

While the preferred embodiment of my invention thus provides a very simple design of member for attaining the universal connection between the spring and seat, it is obvious that numerous modifications could be employed for the attainment of this same end, and in Figs. 8 and 9 I have shown a modified form of this member, the same bcing designated 30. In its present form, the member has a peripheral depending flange 81, a circular wall 82, and an inner ascending peripheral flange 33, the latter having diametrically opposed bearing projections 84 for contact with the flat annular portion of the guide13 between the spring seat 15 and bead 16 thereof, the bead occupying the space within the flange 33. The circular wall 82 of the member 30 is ribbed transversely at substantially right angles to the common bearing axis of the projections 34, the ribs constituting spring bearings 35).

Reciprocable within guides 36 that are supported within apertures in the top wall of the crank case 2, which apertures are in substantial alinement with the apertures 12 of the extensions 3, are tappets 37, carrying adjustment screws 38 at their upper ends for contact with the lower ends of the valve stems, the tappets being provided with rollers 89 at their lower ends for engagement with the cams =10 of the cam shaft 41, such being in accord with the usual construction of internal combustion engines of the class herein shown.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. The combination of a valve seat, a guide adjacent said seat, a valve having a stem rigid with the valve and slidable within said guide whereby the valve is maintained in proper relation to its seat, an abutment on the stem,,a second abutment opposed to the first and maintained in fixed relation to the valve seat, a spring interposed between said abutments, and a member located, and by means of which a universal connection is effected, between the second abutment and the adjacent end of the spring.

2. The combination of a valve seat, aguide adjacent said seat, a valve having a stem that is rigid with the valve, said stem being slidable within the guide and projecting therebeyond, an abutment on the stem that is spaced from the guide, the end of the guide opposed to said abutment being provided with a spring seat, a spring interposed between. the abutment and spring seat, and an element located between the spring and spring seat, and of such nature as to allow the spring to swing in any direction with respect to the longitudinal axis of the valve stem.

3. The combination of a valve seat, a guide adjacent said seat, a valve having a stem that is rigid with the valve said stem being slidable within said guide and projecting therebeyond, a spring surrounding said stem and having at one end a connection with the stem and at the other end a universal connection with the guide.

4. The combination of a valve seat, a guide, a valve having a stem that is slidable within said guide and projects therebeyond, an abutment on the stem that is spaced from the guide, the opposed end of the guide being provided with a spring seat, a spring interposed between the abutment and said spring seat, and an annulus located between the spring seat and the adjacent end of the spring, said annulus being bent on its diame ter whereby it is permitted to rock in one direction with respect to the seat and at right angles to such direction with respect to the spring. 1

5. The combination of a valve seat,a guide, a valve having a stem that is slidable within said guide and projects therebeyond, an abutment carried by the stem and spaced from the guide, a spring interposed between said abutment and guide, and a member located between the guide and the adjacent end of the spring, said member having on one face diametrically opposed rocker bearings for contact with the guide, and on its opposite face diametrically opposed rocker bearings for contact with the end of the spring, the mutual axis of the latter bearings being at substantially right angles to that of the former.

6. The combination of a valve seat, a guide adjacent said seat, a valve having a stem that is rigid with the valve, said stem being slidable within said guide and projecting therebeyond, an abutment carried by the stem and spaced from the guide, a spring interposed between the abutment and guide and a spring compensating device located between the guide and the adjacent end of the spring.

7. The combination of a valve seat, a guide adjacent said. seat, a valve having a stem that is rigid with the valve, said stem being slidable within said guide and projecting therebeyond, an abutment carried by the stem and spaced from the guide, and a spring and spring compensating means between the abutment and guide whereby a universal movement is afforded between the spring and guide.

8. As a new article of manufacture, a valve spring compensating means comprising an annulus bent on its diameter to produce a rocker bearing on each of its opposed faces, the axis of one of such bearings being at substantially right angles to that of the other.

9. As a new article of manufacture, a spring compensating means comprising a member having on each of its opposed faces outwardly extended portions constituting rocker bearings, the mutual axis of the bearings on one face being at substantially right angles to the axis of those on the other.

10. As a new article of manufacture, a spring compensating means comprising a member having on each of its opposed faces,

an outwardly extended portion constituting a. rocker bearing, the axis of one bearing being at substantially right angles to the axis of the other.

11. In a tappet valve arrangement for internal combustion engines, the combination with a valve seat and a guide adjacent said seat, a valve for cooperation With the seat and. having a stem reciprocable within the guide, the stem having an abutment spaced from the guide, and a spring interposed between the abutment and guide; of spring compensating means interposed between the spring and guide and capable of a rocking movement with respect to each. m

In testimony whereof, I hereunto afiix my signature.

FRANK L. KINGSTON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

